Railroad-gate



W. MAXWELL.

RAILROAD GATE.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, I9|9. 1,329,054, Patented Jan. 27,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

W. MAXWELL. RAILROAD GATE.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1919- 1,329,054.

Patented J tan." 27, 1920.

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RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILLIAM MAXWELL, OF BLOOMING'ION, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-GATE.

Application filed. April 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lYILLIAM MAXWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Gate, of which the follow- I ing is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide novel means whereby railroad gates may be closed at the approach of a train, means being provided whereby the gates will open, after the train has passed.

A mechanic may make changes in the precise structure shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation disclosing a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing one end of the operating member and adjacent parts; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the other end of the operating member and adjacent parts; Fig. 5 is a cross section disclosing the means whereby the operating member is actuated from a pasing train; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective illustrating the means whereby motion is transmitted from gate to gate; Fig. 7 is an elevation showing one of the standards, parts appearing in section, and parts being broken away; Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the structure shown in Fig. 7, most parts appearing in elevation.

The numerals 1 and 2 mark the rails of a track, a crossing being designated at 3. Gasings 4 are located outside of the rail 1 at suitable distances from the crossing 3. An intermediate casing 5 is disposed outside of the rail 1 relatively near to the cross ng 3. Guides 6 are lo ated in the casings 4 and guides 8 are distributed along the fra k. In the guides 6 and 8, an operating member 7, which may be a pipe or rod, is mounted Compression springs 9 surround the ends of the operating member 7 and abut at the r inner ends aga nst the guides 6, there being retainers 10 on the operating member which form abut nents for the outer ends of the springs. The operating member 7 has end racks 11 located within the casings 4 and is provided with an intermediate rack 12 disposed in the casing 5. Bear ngs 14 are located inside the rail 1, opposite to the casings 4. In the bearings 14 and in the casings 4, shafts 15 are journaled. Star wheels 16 or other suitable pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 293,130.

jecting elements are carried by the shafts 15 within the bearings 14, and are located close to the rail 1. The star wheels 16 are adapted to be engaged by wheels of a train. The shafts 15 carry pinions 17 meshing into the racks 11.

Main standards 18 are disposed on each side of the track and upon eah side of the crossing 3, there being four of these standards. Road gates 19 are pivoted intermediate their ends, as indicated at 20, on the standards 18, and are provided with boxes 21 adapted to receive weights (not shown) which aid in opening the gates. The ends of the gates 19 are provided with projections 22 slidably received in guides 23 extended longitudinally of side walk gates 24 pivoted at 25 on standards 26.

A shaft 27 extends across the track and is j ournaled in two of the main standards 18 and in the casing 5. The shaft 27 carries, within the casing 5, a pinion 28, meshing into an intermediate rack 12 on the operating member 7. There are drums 29 on the ends of the shaft 27. The lower ends of flexible elements 30 are connected to the drums 29, the upper ends of the flexible elements being connected to two of the gates 19 on opposite sides of the track. Springs 31 maybe interposed in the flexible elements 30 to prevent shocks or ars when the gates are (losed. Flexible elements 32 are connerted with the gates 19 wh ch are controlled by the flexible elements 30 and are connected to the other gates 19 on the oppositeside of the crossing. The flex ble elements 32' are trained around idlers 33 journaled on the standards 18.

A shaft 34 is mounted to rock in one of the standards 18 and is provided at its inner end with an arm 35 which is adapted to be engaged by a projection 100, of any kind, located on the last car 101 of a train. The inner end of the shaft 34 carries a spring latch 36 adapted to yield in a plane defined by the said arm and bv the shaft 34. At its upper end, the latch 36 is supplied with a rack or l ke projection 37. The rack or projection 37 is adapted to cooperate with a keeper 42 on one of the gates 19.

A re k shaft 38 is journaled in the standard 18 wherein the Path 36 is located, and is journaled, also, in the casing 5, the rock shaft having a tooth 39 co-acting with the rack 12. A signal 41 is mounted on the standard above mentioned. A link 40 is connected with the signal 41 and is connected, eccentrically with the rock shaft 38.

The structure operates with equal facility, regardless of the direction in which the train is moving. Suppose, however that the train is moving in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1. Then a wheel of the train cooperates with the left hand star wheel 16. The corresponding shaft 15 transmits motion to the operating member 7 by way of the pinion 17 and the rack 11, the spring 9 at the opposite end of the member 7 being compressed. When the member 7 moves endwise, the rack 12 rotates the shaft 27 through the instrumentality of the pinion 28, the flexible elements being wound on. the drums 29 and one pair of the gates 19 being closed. From the said pair of gates, motion is transmitted to the other pair of gates 19 by way of the flexible elements 32, all of the gates 19 being closed. The projections 22 on the gates 19 operating in the guides 23 of the gates 24, close the gates 24. While the gates are being closed as aforesaid, the rack 12 operates the signal 41 by way of the tooth 39, the rock shaft 38 and the link 40. When the gates 14 are closed as aforesaid, the keeper 42 on one of the gates 19 moves downwardly into engagement with the projection 37 on the upper end of the spring latch 36. Thus, the gates are held closed. When the projection 100 on the car 101 cooperates with the arm of the shaft 34, the shaft 34 is rocked, and the part 37 of the latch 36 is swung out of engagement with the keeper 42. Then, the spring 9 which has been compressed, reacts on the 1 operating member 7, and, through the rack 12, the pinion 28, the shaft 27, and the parts shown in Fig. 6, unwinds the flexible elements 30 from the drums 29 and permits the gates to open, under the action of the weights in the boxes 21.

In order to maintain the latch 36 in upstanding position, so that the part 37 thereof may coact with the keeper 42 on the gate which carries the keeper when the said gate moves to a closed position, the shaft 34 is provided with a depending counter weight 75.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a standard; a gate mounted to swing thereon; a shaft supported for rocking movement and disposed transversely of the plane in which the gate swings; a spring latch on the shaft and coacting with the gate to hold the same closed, the latch being yieldable transversely of the plane in which the gate swings, to permit the gate to engage with the latch; carcarried means for rotating the shaft to swing the latch approximately parallel to the plane in which the gate swings, thereby to disengage the latch from the gate; means for opening the gate; and oar-actuated means for closing the gate.

2. In a device of the class described, a gate; means for opening the gate; a first car-actuated means for closing the gate; a latch coacting with the gate to hold the gate closed; and a second car-actuated means independent of the first car actuated means and operatively connected with the latch to disengage the latch from the gate.

3. In a device of the class described, standards; gates mounted to swing thereon; a flexible member secured at its ends directly to the gates and operating to close one gate when the other gate is closed; idlers around which the flexible member is trained; a shaft supported for rotation; a flexible element connected directly at its ends with the shaft with said other gate and acting to close the same when the shaft is rotated; and caractuated means for rotating the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MAXWELL.

Witnesses LEAH OARLQUIST, HOMER ENGLISH. 

